​A hospital's design can say a lot about the care provided inside. It can influence the effectiveness of patient care, how safe the care is and what kind of experience patients and their famili​es can expect — everything we mean when we say "quality of care."

Video: OR-Quality Air

​When the new hospital at Rush was designed, the goal was to create the optimal environment for providing the highest quality of care.​ That’s why planning was driven by nurses and doctors, instead of architects, and with vital input from patients.

"Unique and uncommon features are practically standard in the Tower," says Tony Perry, MD, a Rush physician on the team overseeing the 10-year Rush Transformation. Some you can’t see, like OR-quality air throughout to reduce the risk of infection and a specially designed communication system to limit noise in patient care areas.

And some features you can see but need the back story to know how they relate to quality of care – like the hard-to-miss butterfly shape of the building.​​​​​​​